Azerbaijan, U.S. sign agreement within direct air service

Azerbaijan, Baku, April 19 / Trend A.Akhundov / Azerbaijan and the U.S. signed a grant agreement, which envisages providing technical assistance to opening direct air service between the two countries. The agreement was signed during the third meeting of the Azerbaijani-U.S. intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation held in Washington on Wednesday, Azerbaijani Finance Ministry said. The document was signed by the State Civil Aviation Administration of Azerbaijan and USTADA. As Assistant Secretary for Energy Issues, Patricia Hoffman said, the U.S. interested in cooperation with Azerbaijan within its special programs for the protection of the global energy infrastructure. "As a major exporter of energy resources in the region Azerbaijan has common goals with the United States, which is very important for us," Hoffman said. She said today there is a need to protect Azerbaijan's energy infrastructure from earthquakes, possible terrorist attacks and other such cases on a more professional level. "The U.S. is willing to share with Azerbaijan its experiences in this sphere, as safe transportation of Azerbaijani oil and gas to Europe is a shared goal between the two countries," Hoffman said. The two countries cooperate in energy sector within the oil and gas projects in Azerbaijan, besides the United States is one of importers of oil from Azerbaijan. At the meeting, held under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Samir Sharifov and Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Robert D. Hormats, discussed the current state of bilateral relations in various spheres and cooperation prospects. Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at agency@trend.az